However around 1917 One Step gradually fell out of fashion and disappeared from the ragtime music sheets. It was like this until the ballroom couple Irene and Vernon Castle developed what was seen by the white community as a more dignified version of it. The One Step, that became popular after the animal dances, however, eliminated all hoppings, all contortions of the body, all flouncing of the elbows, all twisting of the arms, and above all else, all fantastic dips – Erica Nielsen, p. When it was brought to America, it was adapted to the syncopated rhythms of Ragtime music by adding a run or “trot” (like a little galop, in a horse riding style). At that time it consisted of a mere march forward, backward and a right turn, danced with military precision. The One – Step (a.k.a: the Turkey Trot, Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear) came from England in 1911. Later the shows saw the introduction of both women and Whites, usually performing in Black face.įew decades later the new style The One – Step (and the Foxtrot) replaced The Two – Step dance. Initially it was performed by men and Black dancers only.

Sometimes the white folks noticed it, but they seemed to like it I guess they thought we couldn’t dance any better.īasically the dance was about mocking the aristocratic mannerism of white people. Then we’d do it too, but we used to mock ’em every step. Us slaves watched white folks’ parties where the guests danced a minuet and then paraded in a grand march, with the ladies and gentlemen going different ways and then meeting again, arm in arm, and marching down the center together. In fact the dance’s name comes from the decorated cake that would be awarded to the winning couple.

The slaves of southern plantations used to gather at their master’s house to enter a contest and perform a dance. Prize walks were sort of carnival events. Prize walks were held in the plantations of the Southern United States in the mid 19th century. The Cakewalk, also known as the “Chalk line walk” or “walk around” was a pre-Civil war dance developed from the original “prize walks”. It tells us that there was lack of musical distinction between the dances. Interestingly, at time all of those dances or a combination was written on a sheet.

The dances named on the earliest ragtime sheet music are the cakewalk, march, and two-step. As the music moved to ballrooms, the ragtime sheet music always had a. This music was always associated with dancing. Ragtime was a highly rhythmic dance music that became an international phenomenon in late 19th century. Louis Shag, Balboa and Lindy hop (Jitterbug). In this blog I will make a quick overview of the popular social partner dances during the first half of the 20th century such as Cakewalk, Two Step, One Step, Fox Trot, Charleston, Shag, St. Though there were many amazing dance forms in combination with Jazz music, that dominated the cultural landscape in America in the first half of the 20th century. Most of us heard of Lindy Hop or swing dancing. The history of social dancing in the United States is very rich.

Swing dance moves fox hole